The Last Word with Matt Cooper

This week on The Week Trending, Matt is joined by Journalist Kate Henshaw and Broadcaster Padraig Wilson McCarthy to discuss the week's stories.They discuss Nigel Farage v Count Binface, a potential English World Cup Bank Holiday, the heatwave and much more.Hit Play on this page to listen now

A man was almost sucked out the widow of a Ryan Air flight after the window detached mid-air.Eoghan Corry, Editor of Travel Extra, joins Matt to discuss the terrifying moment for passengers on their German bound flight. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the full chat. 

Trade unions across Europe are pushing for new measures to help employees working in extreme heat.Among the precautions are workplace thermal limits, mandatory site heat risk assessments and rights to heat breaks. It’s estimated that there are 230 workplace deaths a year which are linked to high temperatures.Environmental commentator John Gibbons speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ butt...

RTE has said it will need an additional €65m from the government in 2028, suggesting that the number of households without a television has “increased steadily”, meaning it’s missing out on potential revenue.Louise Burne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, and Fianna Fáil TD Albert Dolan speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Olivia Fahy joins The Last Word to chat all about the new releases hitting Irish cinemas this weekend. From The Rocks wig in Moana to watching Evil Dead Burn through her fingers, Olivia tells Matt what to look out for this weekend.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

As the country sizzles under the second heatwave of the season, Andy O'Donoghue is back to run through the best gadgets to keep you cool.From phone fans to air conditioners, smart water bottles, gel pillows and more, Andy has thought of everything.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Spider Stacy from The Pogues is the latest inductee into The Last Word Culture Club.He joins Matt to discuss the influence of Irish music in his life, as he plans to tour with The Pogues and special guests from that very canon of new Irish acts.He also discusses the cultural touchstones in his own life from music to movies, books, TV and plays.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' butto...

Almost half of Irish workers believe artificial intelligence will replace or negatively impact their current role according to a new survey from FRS recruitment.Colin Donnery, group CEO of FRS Co-Op, and Peter Cosgrove, managing director pf Careers Portal, join The Last Word to discuss how workers can AI proof their career.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

With temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees in parts of the country this week, Uisce Eireann is urging households to be more mindful of their water usage.Margaret Attridge of Uisce Éireann, and Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather, join Matt to discuss their top tips to conserve water during a heatwave. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has said its concerned that ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes could negatively impact financially vulnerable people and see them fall further into debt after being targeted by retailers with so-called “free credit”.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page...

US President Donald Trump has renewed his claim that Greenland “should be controlled by the United States” while at a Nato summit in Turkey.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sinn Féin has tabled a Bill which, if accepted, would compel the Government to examine the implications of Irish unity.Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald joins The Last Word to discuss why her party believes now is the time to start preparing for a referendum on a united Ireland.Catch the full chat by pressing 'Play' button on this page!

On Tuesday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced that he would be resigning as MP for Clacton, triggering an upcoming by-election.Mr. Farage also confirmed that he will contest the by-election, and accused the media of attempting to intimidate his family.Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio, explains all to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to...

On Monday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he asked FIFA to review US player Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension after he was sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the World Cup.Balogun was due to miss his country’s last-16 tie against Belgium before FIFA suspended the ban for 12 months, thus clearing the path for him to start for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.Dion Fanning, co-host of the...

A jury has convicted former swimming coach George Gibney of attempted rape of a girl and the abuse of three girls on various dates in the 1970s and 1980s.Today FM Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney gives a background to the harrowing story of George Gibney's abuse. He details the allegations that Gibney faced and the verdict from the jury. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on...

A group of British MPs have urged ministers to whether they can stop children’s TV show ‘Masha and the Bear’ being broadcast in the UK, after it was accused of expressing pro-Kremlin propaganda.Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke join The Last Word for Monday’s TV & streaming slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

An investigation by The Sunday Times found that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage failed to declare benefits provided by George Cottrell, an ally who was once convicted of fraud in the US.Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio in London, explains the latest to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Whatsapp is set to roll out a new feature which will let users chat without revealing their phone numbers.The move has faced some scrutiny, though, and India has requested that the rollout is paused due to concerns about fraud and phishing scams.Tech journalist Andy O’Donoghue explains all to Matt.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

With temperatures soaring across Europe in recent weeks, the debate about the necessity of air conditioning in homes has sparked in France once again.Is this an inevitable conclusion as the continent experiences high temperatures, and what would the environmental impact of the move be?Commentator John Gibbons joins Matt for The Last Word on the Environment.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hea...

US President Donald Trump told guests at the US ambassador’s residence in Dublin on Wednesday that he hopes to visit Ireland for the Irish Open later this year.Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, and Dan O’Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, join The Last Word to discuss the likelihood of such a visit and the challenges it would present....

Musician Mike Hanrahan, of Stockton's Wing, is the latest guest on the Culture Club.He joins The Last Word to chat about his favourite music, movies, TV and more.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A major change to EU customs rules, which kicked in on July 1, means that consumers must now pay a lot more for small items that are coming from outside the European Union.Rory McGinn, business reporter with the Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to explain how this new custom charge works.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government is working on a saving scheme in a bid to encourage Irish savers, who have an estimated €170bn in deposits, to invest.Some economists have raised concerns that this will only benefit the wealthy and that there is little benefit for the so-called “squeezed middle”.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joins Matt to run through what’s known about the sche...

52-year-old Riad Bouchaker has been found guilty of the attempted murder of three children at Parnell Square in Dublin in November 2023.Mr. Bouchaker was also found guilty of stabbing Leanne Flynn, a childcare worker who was trying to protect the children, and of assaulting two other children and a teenager who intervened in the incident.Frank Greaney, Today FM’s Courts Correspondent, speaks to Ma...

Madonna will release her new album ‘Confessions II’ on Friday, a follow-up to her 2005 record ‘Confessions on a Dancefloor’.Dee Reddy and John Caddell join Matt on The Last Word to predict whether it will live up to the hype and match her previous success.Plus, they look forward to Take That at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday and Lewis Capaldi being added to the Electric Picnic lineup.Hit the ‘Pla...